The other day I was on the Twitter, and I noticed the Big Tone Music Brewery has just announced a new line of pedals. If BTMB is a new name to you, you are not alone. They have been operating in obscurity for some time creating unique, feature laden pedals that are impressive to behold. The guy behind the Build You Own Clone site,
Keith Vonderhulls, has created a line of creative pedals. Their most prominent pedal being their MOSFET overdrive and boost. More than just a Fulltone clone, this pedal offers panametric EQ and knobies and switches everywhere. Another standout in their line is the Royal Beaver. This combines every Big Muff variation and combination imaginable. In short, this is the beaver to end all beavers. These pedals are flexible and well designed. So when I heard that they are putting out more pedals, I got excited. I couldn't wait to see what designs they came up with next.
There New Line Is Heavy On The Dirt
Obviously BTMB is committed to making the best, and most flexible OD, distortion, and fuzz pedal. They also have come up with a boost and vibrato. Many people have several dirt pedals. If you are like me, I am always looking for pedals that add something to my sound. Once you have your sound with the right amount on dirt, then you can look at making that sound just a little sweeter. Delay, Reverb, and chorus are tryed and true effect that help make "that sound" that much better. Many people see the pool of gain pedal to be over-saturated. So when I learned that BTMB was offering nothing but dirt, my excitement was squelched a bit.
Their Clones
Let me be clear hear. These are no exact copies of other pedals. They take successful circuits and modify them to make them more desirable and flexible. So lets take a look at the line up:
Classic Overdrive=Tube Screamer (?)
Grey Box Overdrive=DOD 250 (Grey Version)
Ram and Triangle Fuzz=Big Muffs
Silicone and Germanium Fuzz=Fuzz Faces
They have applied their now-signature flexible EQ. Yes they might have familiar beginings, but they offer many options that aren't found on the originals. Not to mention that they are made with top quality NOS parts and construction. So the idea behind these pedals are not trying to copy the old pedals, but rather improve upon the old circuits.
They've Lost A Little Magic
Many of us have looked for that magic bullet to produced the sound that is in our heads, the one pedal that will rule them all. Some have claimed to find it, and they very well may have. Sometimes that sound is a slippery fish. It may sound completely different from day to day, making BTMB's flexible pedals great choices. However, the pedals in this new line fit a little more snugly into their original roles. They are more flexible then their counterparts, but they stop short of the exotic pedals they have previously built. Speaking of which, The original pedal had top mounted jacks. As everyone knows, if you want a super sexy pedal board then you have to have your pedals with top mounted jacks. That way you can put your pedals close together and have a solid mass of sonic goodness at your feet with little to no pedal board showing. Side jacks just down allow those pedal to get super close.
In Conclusion
Now we have a line of pedals that pretty much anyone can admire. They taken familiar designs and increased there tonal range, and given them modern features that today's players want. On top of everything, these pedals are handbuilt in America and under $200. That might be serious cash, but these are serious pedals. In a world where there are tons of dirt pedals to choose form, these pedal standout, but aren't too obscure that you won't be able to tell which pedal is right for you. These are very smart designs from the guys that have been building and modding circuits for years. Well worth a try!
